Improvement in cork-cutting machines



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TI. s. DISSTON. Cork'Gutting-Machines. No. 134,982. Patentedlan. 21,1873.

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Cork Cutting,-Machines. 7N0.134,982. PatentedJan.21,1873.

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THOMAS S. DISSTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO HENRY DISSTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN, CORK-CUTTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134 982, dated January 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. DIss'roN, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in (Dork-Cutting Machines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improvement; Fig. 2, a plan or top view thereof; Fig. 3, a partial plan, showing the position of the driving-wheels, chain, feeding-hopper, and carrier at the moment when the carrier takes a cork; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the feeding-hopper; and Fig. 5 a similar view of one of the knives.

The same parts are denoted by the same letters in all the figures.

This invention is an improvement in what are commonly known as corkcutting machines, whose function in the manufacture of corks for bottles, &c., is to reduce the cylindrical blanks, which have been previously punched out, to such size and taper as may be desired. Its principal feature is the combination of a stationary knife to trim the blank, and a traveling carrier to hold the blank against the knife; and the form in which I prefer to construct, it is as follows:

A A represent two standards supporting the driving-shaft B, which carries the bevelpinions O G meshing with bevel-gears D D On these standards, or on projections from them, are also supported the horizontal plates E and F. The outer plate E is, as shown in Fig. 2, an oval ring, concentric with the similar oval outline of the inner plate F; and the narrow space between the two plates forms the orbit of the traveling carrier, as hereinafter described. The plate F, as shown in Fig. 2, has the general form of an oval ring, the sides of the oval being considerably wider than the ends, and united by two crosspieces, G G the central portions of which are formed into collars above the standards AA Within these collars turn the upper ends of the vertical shafts H H on whose lower ends are the bevel-gears D D. The sprocketwheels I I, made with any suitable number of teeth g, arelsecured to collars bearing on the standards A A and are held from rising out of place by the collars G G which form their upper bearings. 0n the plate F are supported the clamps MM, each of which consists of two plates inclosing the knifeN, all of oval curvature, or parallel to the orbit of the carrier, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer clamping-plates M are rigidly secured in any convenient manner to plate F. The

inner plates are bolted to these outer ones, the bolts passing through slots at in knives N, thus enabling the knives to be set out as they wear away, or whenever occasion requires. Toothed racks O O, curved parallel to the track of the carrier, are also bolted to plate F out-side the knives, as shown in Fig. 2. The endless chain on which the traveling carrier is mounted consists of a series of alternate upper links, J, and lower links K united by pins L L The links K are slotted as shown in Fig. 2. The upper links are supported on the plates E and F, and the shanks of pins L L project downward through the narrow space between said plates, and also through the slotted links K, which are supported on the heads of the pins. On each pin is secured a collar, 1 or l, which, being wider than the space between plates E and F, prevents the chain from rising out of its place. The collars Z on the pins L which are attached to the forward ends of the upper links, (the left-hand ends, as seen in Fig. 1,) are squaredor cut away on the rear side, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the teeth g may bear squarely against them and clear them without any side thrust when the tooth leaves the chain. The links K are made of circular curvature, like the ends of the oval, to prevent jamming in the slack of the chain, which, being longer than the track which it travels, is always slack, in order momentarily to arrest the movement of the carrier, as will be explained hereafter. On an upper link, J, is mounted the carrier, the bottom plate P of which is secured to link J by two adjusting-screws, 12, each passing through a slot in P, so that either or both ends of the carrier can be set in or out, and its distance from or inclination to the knives N adjusted to suit the size or the taper required for the cork. The standards Q Q on plate P support the shaft R, which passes through the arms S S. These arms are also connected by the rod R which passes through them both. The arm S is secured to shaft R by set-screw s, and the shaft is held immovable by set-screw s, so that the ends of the arms may be adjusted at any desired height. The arm S has a sliding movement on shaft 1% and rod R. T is a rocking-sleeve, on which are a toe, t, and arm, 29, from the latter of which projects a pin, t By turning the toe t to the right the pin 13 is made to press the arm S to the left. S is retracted by the elastic band u, for which any suitable spring may be substituted. The shafts V V, whose adjacent ends or griping-heads are armed with needlepoints, are supported by the arms S S, and turn loosely therein. The pinion 'v on the right-hand end of shaft V meshes with gear 41 which is pivoted to arm S, and to which is rigidly secured the arm o. X is a wheel for grinding or buffing the knives N. It is supported on the plate Y, secured to a link, J, by two screws, one of which passes through a slot, y, in the plate, so that the adjacent end of said plate may be adjusted nearer to or further from the knife. The bearings w as of the shaft of wheel X are formed on a plate which is vertically adjustable on standards supported on plate Y, and which also supports the vertical shaft that carries on its lower end the pinion Z, meshing with toothed rack O, and on its upper end the bevel-gear Z meshing with pinion m on the shaft of wheel X. Upon the collar G is bolted a collar, A Fig. 4, on which is formed or secured the standard B supporting a yoke, (J in which the hopper D is pivoted. This hopper is an oblong trough, open in front, and with its bottom prolonged and turned up to form a lip, E, as shown in Fig. 4. The top flanges E 13 need not extend the whole length of the hopper, but may leave the rear end entirely open at top. A rockshaft, F, with arms F and G is mounted on standard 13 The arm F is curved downward so as to be lifted by each spoke of the sprocketwheel I as it revolves, thereby rocking the shaft, which is returned to its position by a coiled spring, H when the spoke has passed. A pin or bolt, T projects from the end of arm G Fig. 1, immediately under the front extremity of the hopper, resting on a spring or I cushion, K when the arm F is clear of the sprocket-wheel, and the hopper in the position shown in Fig. 1. To this pin are pivoted the arms L L whose flanges M M overlap the flanges 1] E and from which the plate N projects under the bottom of the hopper. P B and Q Q are guide-rails supported on standards bolted to plate E. R is a curved guide to operate the toe t it is secured to one of the said standards, and can be adjusted in or out, so as to make the cork drop sooner or later, as hereinafter explained, by means of the set-screw 1.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The hopper having been filled with cylindrical blanks punched out in the usual manner, and motion being communicated to the gearing from the driving-shaft, so that the sprocketwheels shall revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows, the teeth g come successively into contact with collars 1, thereby moving links J, which drag the rest of the chain after them, causing it to revolve, as shown by the arrow. The carrier being in the position represented in Figs. 1 and 2, and adjusted so as to present to the knife N, at any desired angle, the blank 1"", which it gripes between the ends of shafts V V with a force which may be regulated by varying the tension of spring a, the movement of the chain will cause the arm 22 to be depressed by the guide-rail I, as appears from Fig. 1. The continued depression of the arm 2; rotates gear v pinion o, and shaft V; and the blank as it advances with the movement of the carrier is thus revolved against the stationary knife and trimmed to the taper desired for the finished cork. When the carrier has passed beyond the knife the arm 11 is a little higher than the adjacent end of the rail Q above which it passes in its onward movement, and the arm 12 as the movement of the carrier continues, is elevated by said rail until it is in position to be depressed by the nextfrail P and revolves shaft V, as before. As the carrier returns to the right-hand end of its orbit the toe it comes into contact with the curved guide-way R and is thereby pressed toward gear v moving pin t and arm S in the opposite direction. The griping-head on the shaft V is thus moved apart from the opposite griping-head, dropping the now-finished cork into any convenient receptacle. A guide-platefP, may be employed to direct it into such receptacle as it falls. As the carrier approaches the hopper a spoke of the sprocket-wheel bears against the inclined surface of arm F rocking the shaft F so as gradually to lift the arm G2 and elevate the front end of the hopper. While the hopper begins to rise the griping-heads of the carrier pass over the lip E and the blank which lies against it, and when the carrier has nearly reached the position shown in Fig. 3 the tooth g, which has been bringing it to this position, leaves the chain. The chain being at this moment slack between the point where the next tooth of wheel" I is bearing against it, the carrier remains stationary until the wheel I has taken up the slack and brought the chain into the position shown in Fig. 3. During this time the front end of the hopper is rising until the axis of the front blank is in line with the shafts V V after which the hopper remains stationary for a moment, while the spoke of wheel I is passing under the end of the arm F which end is squared off so as to bear on the spoke without being lifted by the movement thereof. Before the spoke leaves arm F the wheel I has taken up the slack of the chain, and the carrier is consequently drawnforward, the toe t escaping from the guide-way R and the spring V retracting the arm S, and causing the griping-heads to seize the blank, as shown in Fig. 3. The new blank is carried off by the continued movement of the carrier, to be cut as before described, the next blank falling into its place, and the spring H returns the hopper as the spoke clears the arm F to the position shown in Fig. 1, the flanges M M pulling the front of the hopper down. The movement of the plate which supports the wheel X rotates the pinion Z against the rack, thereby revolving the wheel and grinding the knives up in place. A buffingwheel may, when desirable, be substituted for the grindin g-wheel, to keep theknives polish ed.

For simplicity of representation, I have shown but one carrier in the drawing. I intend, however, to employ several, all constructed and operating as heretofore described, and to mount another hopper on the collar G Any convenient number of knives may also be employed.

Instead of making the orbit of the carrier of oval form, as shown, I sometimes prefer to make it a circle. The general form of plates E and F is in this case circular, and the construction and operation of the parts are substantially the same as heretofore described. They may be conveniently arranged by using four sprocket-wheels and feeding-hoppers, four knives, a chain with, say, twelve upper links, and mounting a carrier on every upper link of the chain except the oncwhich supports the wheel X. As there must evidently be a slack in the chain between every two sprocketwheels, in order to permit the carrier to pause for the purpose of seizing a cork, the chain must be slack in as many places as there are sprocket-wheels, and in this case it will therefore be slack in four places.

The number of the spokes or of the teeth of I the wheels may be varied, and the hopper may be operated by any suitable mechanism, in-

stead of the cam-arm F It may be more convenient, where space permits, to give the hopper a'reciprocating instead of are rating movement, especially when the carrierr is circular.

The racks 0 may, if desired,be made in e continuous piece, provided that it does no 11- terfere with the movement of the hopp I do not limit myself to the details of e mechanism shown and described, as these may obviously be varied without departing from my invention; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, substantially as described, of the stationary knife or knives to trim the blanks, and the traveling carrier or carriers, to hold them against said knives.

2. The combination, substantially as described, of the stationary knife or knives, the traveling carrier or carriers, and the hopper or' hoppers which feed the blanks automatically to said carriers.

The combination, substantially as described, of the stationary knife or knives and the traveling carrier or carriers with two or more sprocket-wheels and a chain, which is slack between every two of said wheels, so as to permit said carriers to pause for the purpose of seizing a blank.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of the stationary knife or knives, the traveling carrier or carriers, and the grinding or buffing Wheel.

THOMAS S. D'ISSTON.

IVitnesses:

WM. R. WRIGHT, ED. J. FASY. 

